Stay Out of My Toy Box ~ And Go Suck an Egg

So, now the government wants to get into your toy box!

Unless you've been living under a rock you've probably heard about the West Virginia state lawmaker, Jeff Eldridge, and his bill proposal to legally ban Barbie (and other dolls) from being sold in the state of West Virginia. He believes the dolls influence girls to place too much importance on physical beauty, at the expense of their intellectual and emotional development.

My favorite quote in response to this comes from Khloe Kardashian:
"He can suck an egg, seriously. He's probably butt-ugly and always wanted a girlfriend that looked like Barbie but could never get one. People like that really annoy me."

Now Khloe, as much as I agree that the dude should go suck an egg, let's not make it personal.  Hmm, let's see what this dude looks like, shall we?

So, not a total Moe but I'm not lovin' the foo and someone should send a memo telling him that Brandon from 90210 called and he wants his sideburns back.  The guys at Queer Eye could totally have fun with him!!  If we got him a makeover do you think he'd lay off Barbie?  

Anyway, I'm smart and capable. I have a daughter and I intend to let her play with Barbies. (Although, I have to admit so far the lightsabers, and Rescue Heroes have taken center stage.)  

Come to think of it, why not outlaw all those stupid Super Heroes?  Aren't we concerned that our boys will have low self esteem when they figure out that they cannot spin webs, leap tall buildings, and see through things?  And frankly, I haven't seen too many men built like Superman in my neighborhood lately.  Trust me, I would have noticed.  All I'm seeing is dunlop, muffin top, couch potato action.  Although, the guy who came to clean the gutters was pretty ok, too bad he was like, 12.  

All I'm saying is that maybe Barbie has an unobtainable body but geeze, she is a DOLL. Why not remove all the fashion magazines from your shelves that are showcasing LIVING women? Why not shut down all the movie theaters that are showing anorexic actresses? Why not remove television from peoples homes so that they aren't exposed to damaging images of actual real life beautiful people?

I would also argue that most (notice I didn't say all) women and girls should be given a bit more credit for being able to determine the difference between reality and a DOLL. A doll that promotes creative play is not to blame for the value society puts on looks.

I remember spending hours as a little girl playing with Barbie. I had a friend who had a whole closet dedicated to Barbie stuff. We created elaborate story lines that lasted days, weeks even. Not one of my memories has to do with what her body looked like.

So what if she lives in a Dream House, shacks up with a hottie named Ken who drives a Corvette (does he still drive a Corvette?), and owns a cruise ship?

So what if her closet houses couture we only dream of and 50 pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes? She is also an astronaut, a doctor, a veterinarian, school teacher, and successful in dozens of more professions. The girl is making some serious jack so let her spend it... maybe Barbie will stimulate the economy for us.

Barbie lives a fantasy life, a life created and acted out by very creative and imaginative girls (and perhaps a few boys). Should we not encourage and allow our little girls to dream? Why not?

Mr. Eldridge has tragically misplaced his concern. I would urge him to look for something a little more productive to spend his time on.  In the meantime, sir, Go Suck An Egg!